Rick watched tv, bowl of popcorn in his lap. He was having a good
day. He had written more than his word goal for the day. Alexis
was in school again. Things were quiet. That nagging feeling
he had finally disappeared earlier. Then the entertainment channel
started to show something on Xander. "Paula!" he yelled. She
came running out. He pointed.

She stared, watching the trainwreck in motion. "That's not a relative
of his. He said he only had one uncle." She called her publishing
company's legal department to have them stop it immediately.

Castle called the kid. "Tara, it's Rick. Have you seen something
about a documentary on Xander's life?" He checked. "No, it's
on repeat right now on one of the digital channels. I think 165 in
the city but don't quote me. Yeah, that thing. Does he know?
No, you have to tell him, Tara. Today." He hung up and groaned.
"She's seen it, was already working against it, but she hadn't told him.
He's at the cabin this weekend."

"Shit," Paula muttered. He wasn't answering his phone either.
She left a detailed voice message to get in touch with her.

***

Xander, he had already heard through other sources. He was meeting
with the people who had done it. "I didn't know I had another uncle,"
he said bluntly, making the guy flinch. Xander stared at him.
"I hate to tell you this, but you just cost that network millions and yourself
too, plus time in jail."

"I didn't do nothing wrong. They bought it," he said with a sneer.

Xander smirked. "It's still considered fraud to take money for
a lie like that. Especially since we can prove it. Because
that's not my mother's maiden name."

"That was on your birth certificate."

"Yeah, which was refiled six times because she was too drunk to remember
stuff." The other hunter glared. Xander stared at him and moved
closer. "Also, you should be aware that I'm the seer that gave John
Winchester the information on the demon after his family." The man
went pale. "Since I've seen the next three, there's nothing saying
I have to tell anyone."

"You'd never do that as a real hunter."

"Ah, see, I was trained the slayer way. The people who handle
the real, actual problems. Not the Council way but the slayer
code." He stared at him. "You're quickly pushing me into a
corner where I'm going to out every single hunter there is. Plus
the demonic community at both levels. Then... well, you won't make
it through the next apocalypse anyway so it won't much matter to you but
I might miss Dean and Sam. They're stand up guys." He stared
at him. "I'm sure you'll have fun in prison. I can ask them
to put you near my parents or my actual uncle, Mr. Singer. Maybe
you'll learn from this mistake. Because the Powers aren't unahppy
with me."

"Higher demons don't count, boy," he sneered.

"They're the higher power over the slayers, Mr. Singer. Clearly
you're not as smart as you think." He waved the guy with his car
over. "This is him." The officer pulled out cuffs. "You
made a huge mistake and if you press it, I'll have to do what I have to
do. Like I said, I've already seen ahead and you won't make it through
there. Tell Pietra I said hi." He walked off. He paused
when he saw who was pulling in, shaking his head. "I take it you
guys saw that stupid thing he did?"

"He pressed it and you know what, if the Powers That Be were pissed
about exposing slayers and hunters, they'd have stopped me." Dean
went pale. "I'll miss you guys terribly after the next few apocalypses.
You guys are stand up guys and I like the hell out of you."

"What apocalypses?" Dean demanded calmly.

Xander stared at him. "My vision this morning says that I don't have
to say a damn thing." He pointed at where Sam was having one.
"You better hope he's getting them."

"You'd do that to everyone?" Dean demanded. "Over this piddling
shit?"

"Hmm. For taking everything I have away from me? Yeah, I
might. I might jump in if Buffy needs me but no. You guys screwed
the mutt. Badly. Didn't even use lube. See, if
you looked, Dean, there's a shitload of prophecies that say don't piss
off the seers. Nothing but morals says we have to say anything about
anything we see. And I didn't learn morals or teamwork, or even loyalty.
The girls neglected that." He walked around him. "Good luck,
Sam. Let me know if you need some of that headache powder."

"Xander!" Dean called.

"As the story I found online said, Dean, don't piss off the seeker.
We do important jobs." He gave him a dirty look. "You agreed
with his actions with others. The community's heard you guys agreeing
it was the right thing to do. This will also end up probably outing
the slayers and the Council, which means they're going to hunt all of us
down and kill us all. Congrats. They're not as nice as the
higher demons. To them it's like the mob, it's all business."
Dean gaped. "And I can't stop a thing because he started it.
All I can do is play the hand I'm dealt." He disappeared, going back
to New York to the gym. Since his life was now threatened, he should
probably be in better shape again. He had fallen out of patrol readiness.

Dean glared at Bobby as he was led away. "You just had to do that,
didn't you?"

"He can't do anything. What's he going to do, whine to them?"

"Who said they're backing him up?" Sam demanded as he got out.
"They're scared to death this will start another Initiative style mess.
You just started off the next super hunt that gets millions of humans and
others killed, Bobby." Bobby snorted. Sam shook his head, looking
at his brother. "He's right. I saw some guy who said I was
getting the same information and to look up why you don't piss off the
seers. He doesn't have to tell us a damn thing about what's going
to happen."

"That will mean most of everyone will die."

Sam shook his head. "That's being optimistic, Dean. The
next one is a demon plague released because some of them panicked and called
on something higher to protect their clan. They might live since
it'll be really pissed."

"Rats?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head. "Roaches?"

"Nope. Nothing living." He watched the cop car pull off.
"We're so screwed. The Council is already coming."

"So we're wanted by both sides now," Dean said dryly.

"Yup, and the ones from England are the sort to believe in the greater
good."

"Shit," Dean muttered. That meant they were screwed. They
called their father. "Bobby just got arrested," he said in greeting.

"For?"

"That stunt against Harris. For fraud."

"His house secure?"

"We're not anywhere near his house, Dad. And I'm doubting that.
Plus, he's had three visions of apocalypses and we're all fucked."

"The boy will share them," he said. "That's the sort he is.
He can't let anyone die."

"He said he never got taught loyalty, the girls missed that," Sam said.
"Also, I got shown them. The guy who showed me said he was the messenger
for the Powers That Be?"

"The higher authority over the slayers," John said calmly. "And,
Sammy?"

"We're screwed. The Council is going to hunt us all down for the
greater good. Bobby's shit is going to force Xander to out everything,
even if it's sealed. I saw a nice demon plague that not even roaches
survived. Not even blades of grass survived." John moaned.
"I saw the demon community start protesting and fighting back too.
Not the higher ones, who they screwed so none of their plans worked, but
the lower ones he told us about. I saw one where millions of lives
were lost due to that hunt happening, including them hunting us down.
Because you guys got nervous about a fiction writer. Congrats, Dad.
We'll see you in hell when we make it there. Since one of the Council
is already gunning for you."

Dean cleared his throat. "Who?"

"I have no idea. All I saw was his gravestone with this year's
date and the little flag on it that showed that the Council got him, I
touched it and got what it meant."

"Any month?" John asked calmly.

"No. And you weren't buried near Mom either. There was a
full graveyard, they looked new but I couldn't find any names."

"Will the government panic?" Dean asked.

"Possibly. They tried really hard to hide the Initiative stuff."

"All that's been removed, boys," John said.

"Nope," Sam said dryly. "They're in Homeland and alive.
The good ones are aligned with the slayers too." John moaned.
"So yeah, they might be protected. I don't know how this'll turn
out but the vindictive shit has to stop soon. Before it's too late."

"He shouldn't have started writing about hunting," John said.

"He's not the first," Dean reminded him.

"None of them got that sort of attention or was so believable," John
pointed out. "They were all done by kids of hunters and their parents
were pressured to stop them."

"Xander pointed out something. There's all sorts of mentions in
prophecies that say not to piss off the seers."

"Prophecy is for the weak," John snorted.

"Buffy's the only known slayer to ever twist them, and that was thanks
to Xander," Dean said quietly. "We might be screwed."

"He'll show up. He's a knight."

"Yeah, one who is way overdue for a vacation," Dean said. "He'll
protect his friends but everyone else is gone." He hung up and looked
at Sam. "Can we stop this?"

"Go back and stop Bobby from doing that stupid thing?"

"His parents are drunks and in jail," Dean said. Sam gave him
a clueless look. "Get in touch with them. They can sue the
people and get it shut down."

"They might but so can Xander."

"He probably is but his mother's going to get them for libel too.
It's better to have two plans going."

"True." He got into the car to do a search on his phone.
"His father and mother are in New York's system. His uncle is in
Montana, moved from California due to overcrowding. Apparently his
DUI with homicide actually gave him time."

"We're closer to Montana." He got in to drive. Maybe they
could help stop it and calm Xander down. He hoped. He didn't
want to see another apocalypse battle.

***

Xander walked into the office of the head of the channel with his lawyer
behind him. "Mr. Chapman?"

"Yes?" He smirked. "Aww, you're upset."

"Yes, that you talked to someone I wasn't related to." The man
gaped. "He's been arrested for it already. You can press further
fraud suits against him. By the way, that wasn't my mother's maiden
name either. She was so drunk, she put her former married name."
He smirked. "I do have another uncle, but he's in an insane asylum."
He put something down in front of him. "That is a desist order to
quit showing that stupidity."

"You can't stop the press."

"You're not the legitimate press," the lawyer told him. "You're
not guaranteed the same rights."

"But you can get sued," Xander said happily. "I need to buy a
new car anyway." He stared at him. "I'm not going to let you
do anything else. If we have to go trial, good. Yay."
He stood up straighter. "By the way, I'm told you should expect ones
from my parents from their jail cells. Unfortunately they tried to
screw with me too."

"You're nothing, kid," the CEO said.

"Yeah, I've heard that before right before I ended something's life."
He stared at him. "Some of us aren't scared of you. I've seen
worse leeches and I doubt anyone else will ever hire you with this hanging
over you. Or that supposed reporter who didn't check her sources.
Or even talk to the parents." He shook his head. "Pity she
was so sloppy." He walked out. "Hand him the other stuff."

He smirked as he handed over the folded papers. "Notice of the
lawsuit against you personally for authorizing that supposed documentary,
the network for showing it repeatedly, and each time from now on it is
shown you will incur another ten million dollar fine by the restraining
order, and the reporter. Do have a better day." He followed
the young author to the car. "Xander, what happens if he presses
it to court and asks you about the poker circuit?" he asked in the elevator.

Xander smirked. "They're avoiding me like the plague but I still
have those who owe me." He shrugged. "And copies of all the
paperwork." He got off and got into the waiting cab, heading
for the airport.

The lawyer called the publishing house to let them know it was served.
That way they could put press attention on it being wrong. Though
it had been a good human interest story before they found out it was a
fake.

***

Xander walked into the bar in Sunnydale that night. "You'd think
me saving your kids and some of you would count for something. But
that's cool. You guys just pissed off the only seer who has all the
facts for the next five apocalypse battles." The bar got really quiet
as they stared at him. "And by the way, those who owe me, pay up
by next week or I'm summoning you for the court case and making sure you
can't lie." He smirked at one.

"Especially your clan." He swallowed, shaking his head.
"Yeah. You owe me a life debt. I'm back in vindictive bitch
mode. I learned it really well from Buffy and Willow." He walked
out again. "The end of the week or else." He got sent back
to LA by the one he had waiting. "Hey," he said with an evil smirk.
Cordelia gave him a worried look, backing away slowly. "Yeah.
I'm a bit pissed off."

"You weren't this pissed at Anya."

"You gave a reporter a quote?"

"Um... I said that you were never suicidal, just a dweeb?" she
guessed.

"Not that one."

"Oh." She winced. "I'm sorry. They totally cut most
of what I said, Xander. I really did not say that."

Xander stared at her. "Have fun with your visions, Cordy.
You and Sam are the PTB's second choice to see them for the really bad
shit."

"It'll kill her," Angel said bluntly.

"That's not my call either," Xander said, staring at him. "The
Powers are not happy. Because to stop this shit, I'm going to have
to out the hunters at the very least. By the way, have we noticed
the Council team here to take out all of you? They're at the Hyatt."
Angel growled. Xander shrugged. "For the greater good they
don't want it exposed. Buffy's already on the list. I've already
evacuated Joyce." He shrugged. "I can only do what I can, Angel.
What did you want me to do? Let them keep going so I lost everything?"

"You could've taken the hit," he sneered. "You're meant to be
a sacrifice."

"Yeah but for some reason the Mayor forgot about me a lot." He
stared at him. "Also, we should be aware they do know about Willow's
child. They're very anxious so they won't kill her today."
He stared at him. "We know exactly who helped. I got that vision
too." He looked at her. "You have a good life, Cordelia.
I sent you the stuff I use for the headaches last week."

"Xander, it doesn't have to be this way," she said. "You could
talk to the Council."

He stared at her. "You realize they showed that supposed documentary
in sixty countries?" She went pale, shaking her head. "Yeah.
In this one it's been shown five times so far. They're showing it
extra in retaliation for the law suit. The judge is going to destroy
them for it." He shrugged. "And there's nothing I can do because
I didn't start it.

"Angel helped start it by pushing on some hunters when they were local."
He looked at Angel. "Congrats. By the way, the Powers do know.
You're their champion, they actually watch you." He walked off.
That was all he was going to do for his former friends/near family.
He had already warned Rick to keep everyone he cared about close and safe.
Xander went home to have a beer. It was definitely a beer night.
This was so screwed up.

***

Xander looked at the person on the stand the next month. "May
I question him?" he asked the judge. "My lawyer doesn't want to ask
a few particular ones."

"You may even though it's not usual."

Xander looked at the being on the stand. "Are you normally that
color?" The judge opened his mouth.

"No," the demon said, letting his illusion drop. Everyone in there
gasped.

"Why are you here today?" Xander asked.

"I owe you about seventy thousand from a poker debt."

"You're admitting that?" the judge asked. He looked at Xander.
"That can go against his credibility." Xander held up a hand.

Xander looked at him. "Have I asked you to lie?"

"No. You told me to tell the absolute truth, even if it wasn't
pretty. Because there's people who'll probably hunt and kill us if
this information gets out."

Xander nodded. "Can your people lie?"

"No. It's something that we cannot do by our clan's gifts," he
sighed. "It's why we're healers usually and therapists." The
judge shuddered. "Among our own peoples, Your Honor."

"Dismissed," the judge ordered. He ran from the room, putting
back on his illusion.

"I call Mr. Harris to the stand," the other attorney demanded.

"Of course," Xander agreed, walking up there and sitting down.
He took his oath and got comfortable. He stared at the lawyer, who was
a demon. He had recognized him as Wolfram and Hart. "Whenever
you're ready."

The man stared at him. "You claim there are people who get real
visions."

"Yes. That's why I had things ready before the last major battle
in LA." The lawyer gaped. "That's also why I stopped another
one by giving someone information I got given to save himself and his family."

"You claim demons are real?"

"Yes."

"Prove it."

"To do that we have to leave the courtroom," Xander said. "Which
means all the careful protections you wove around it are going to be for
nothing. Which will let the information spread."

"We can go on a short field trip," the judge ordered when the lawyers
both started to protest.

"Up the street short enough?" Xander asked. He nodded so Xander
walked them out and up the street to the unusually quiet playground.
But the orphans always hung out here. He pointed. "They're
orphans so no one told them they should hide," he told the judge.
"They're very nice. Most demons, even the other side's lawyer, are
harmless for the most part." He smiled. "We've never hunted
a harmless one on my former team, Your Honor. I've helped stop things
when they were being harmed. This is going to kill them all and a
good number of humans."

He stared. "They're children."

"Yes. Because of the recent problems, there's been an increase
in how many there are." He looked at the lawyers, who were stiff.
"I do what I did to protect them and the other humans who don't have to
know. So they won't have to know."

The judge swallowed and nodded. "Back to the courtroom.
Do they have social workers?"

"Not that I've seen," Xander admitted. "In Sunnydale we had a
few. I haven't seen any here in New York." He walked beside
his lawyer, who was texting someone. "They'll be fine. There
were people watching I'm sure. By tonight they'll either drive them
off or find them a better and safer place to play."

The judge settled himself in his seat again, banging them back into
order. "All right," he said. "I can see why the proceedings
needed to be closed." He looked at Xander. "You do have visions?"

"Yes. I foresaw a great hunt of them because the other side unwisely
decided to come after me for being a good writer. They decided it
outed the hunters and I was to suffer for it. Some of them even suggested
killing me to make sure it stopped. Thankfully there's people who
would've stopped it anyway." He looked at the other side. "Next
month in LA a hellgod's going to appear again. Some of the lesser
ones are going to call on him to protect them. Some of them might
live past the plague he's more than happy to start on humanity for daring
to hurt them. Good luck with that." He looked at the judge
again. "May I be excused? I'm feeling a bit ill."

"Go then come back, Mr. Harris." He nodded and went to get a drink
then hide in the bathroom. He looked at the other side. "Settle
this shit so I can seal it?"

"Sir, it's still been exposed. It can still ruin countless lives."

"Will it get worse if we go forward?"

"Maybe. Only a seer could tell you for sure."

"Yes," Sam said from his seat. "It will get worse. Because
Xander's going to have to hand over classified information on a government
program that experimented and killed a lot of demons. Which will
get their new group in Homeland taken out. Plus others."

The judge stared at him. "Are you a seer?"

"Yes. The same ones that gave them to Xander have begun to use
a few others for the things only he used to see. He used to only
see the really horrible things. I've never seen a genocide before,
even when we were heading to help handle an apocalypse battle. Now,
I have three times recently." Xander walked in. "That headache
stuff works."

Xander nodded. "It's all you can do when all you see are bodies
on a field. It's that or blowing your brains out." He sat down
again. "Thank you for letting me have that time out."

The judge coughed, looking at them. "Do we have to go forward?"
He looked at Sam. "Which one are you?"

"Sam Winchester." The demon gaped. "I know Bobby real well.
He helped raise me. I also know that he's not Bobby and that we're
all going to lose if he's allowed to continue this."

"Holy water. He's possessed. He's probably kicking his own
ass right now." Xander sighed and slumped, looking happier.
He wouldn't tell Xander he might not have been when all this started.
The doors banged open and Willow stomped in. "Rosenburg."

"Sam." She stared at Xander. "They came for my husband,
Xander."

"I warned you guys, which was all I could do outside of taking out their
team," he said hotly, hopping up to look at her. "I warned everyone
who was there. Didn't Cordy tell you? Or Angel?" She
nodded, looking ready to cry. "Did you want me to start assassinating
the Council? Really?"

"Yes! He's my husband!"

He stared at her. Then at the judge. "If he had, he would
have been held for murder charges, young lady. Even knowing all this
he'd have to pay for it," he said calmly. "Can he be rescued?"

"Riley's people are trying," she sniffled. Xander walked over
to hug her but she batted at him. Sam took her to hold, letting her
cry on him.

"He was," he agreed. "Riley can do it. He's a decent Ranger
even if he is a miserable human being."

Xander looked at the demon. "If she loses it again, you won't
win anyway. She nearly ended the world the last time." He shuddered.
"So call them off." He waved a hand and the retrieval team plus the
captured people were there. "Where's the other one?" Xander asked.

"I don't care about the children of lesser beings," he sneered.

"Shit," Xander said. He took Graham's gun. "C'mon.
That kid's the child of a Counselor on the LA demon council." Graham
nodded and left with him. Willow was sobbing on her husband.
Sam was staring at his father. Xander and Graham got there
in time to save the child, barely, and stop the riot, again barely.
Buffy helped. "They're in the courtroom," he told her across the
crowd.

"Willow too?" He nodded. "Thank you."

He tossed her the gun. "I quit. None of you respect me for
anything I've done. The fact that you didn't try to call off the
Council, that Giles didn't, means that you wanted it to happen."
He walked off, going home. He was going to move. Mars sounded
nice. Maybe wherever John and Rodney were was nicer. Let them
handle the wrapping up of the problem the demons has created by nudging
humans.

***

John looked around. "Finn, why are you still here?" he demanded.

"My job is to protect Rosenburg in case she loses it again."

John slugged him. "That's not the duty." He looked at her.

"Go! Stop him!"

Sam groaned, holding his head. "The riot's stopped." He
took a few deep breaths, then looked at his 'uncle'. "You've already
lost. They've outed everything. The Council included so their
own people can stop them. Not all people will allow the genocide
and they'll stop them when they start going after hunters. Long before
they can wipe out all the demon populations."

"Not before they take out the three keystone societies," he sneered.

"No, we have them guarded," Riley said. "Cordelia warned us.
Remember, there is more than one seer. Even if the PTB went with
the backup plan this time, it's still stopped." The demon hopped
up but Riley shot him in the chest with the flare round. The demon
burned. Bobby Singer got a bit singed. "Fat chance."
He looked at Sam. "Xander? We're supposed to be taking him
into protective custody."

Sam shrugged. "No clue. I saw him at an airport but not
which one or what flight."

"Damn," he muttered, calling that in. John took it from him and
stomped on it. Sam smiled at him for that. "We need to protect
him!"

"I think you've done enough with the over reacting you've done, Finn."
He looked at his son. "Calm him down?"

"I don't know how to do that, Dad. How do you calm down a guy
like Xander when you've ripped apart his world?"

"We're going to start with an announcement that this was a hoax," the
judge announced. "Then we will rip up all copies of that film.
We will make sure none of the records of this trial get put anywhere, even
recorded. It will be sealed permanently thanks to the deal the corporation
is going to make for nearly causing all of humanity to die. And yes,
I am including any other peaceful species we have on this planet, gentlemen."

The corporate lawyer swallowed. "I'll have to check on what they
consider acceptable and get him to agree."

"You're going to be paying through the nose because I won't accept anything
too small for him even if we do find him." The lawyer nodded, texting
that back. He got an order to call in and walked out talking to them.
He looked at the publisher's lawyer. "Try to get him to calm down
before things get worse?" he suggested.

"I have no idea who would know where he is," he admitted. "I'll
tell his publisher, she knows him better than most. She knows all
his friends too." He walked out calling her. "Paula, it's Philip
with legal. You need to find Mr. Harris. No, we won.
He averted the problems but we won. We're in settlement talks and
need him here.

"Um, no, and we're not certain of his mental state right now.
He was a bit upset over some things that came out during the trial.
Exactly, yes. Yes, it was that bad. Thank you." He hung
up and walked back in there. "She'll call everyone she can think
of, Your Honor." The other lawyer walked back grimacing. "The
entertainment company not agree?" he asked dryly.

"The head of the law firm told me to kill myself," he admitted.
"The CEO of the other company is begging for hell to come take him away."
He looked at the judge. "I'm authorized to only offer up to three
million." The judge snorted. "That's all I'm authorized and
the board will have to approve anything higher, Your Honor."

"Get them here," he said bluntly. "Or inform them that they nearly
caused a witch hunt and nearly got a lot of people killed, including them.
We will not accept stalling." He nodded, sitting down to call.

John looked at his son. "That law firm?"

"Evil," Sam agreed. "Very evil." The lawyer glared.
"I was nearly hired there, yeah I'm aware of it." The lawyer shuddered.
He looked at Willow and her husband. "All right, you two, go cry
at home." She nodded, taking them back there. The baby demon
pouted. "I know. We'll get you back in a minute, all right?"
She nodded, sucking her thumb.

"I can take her," one of Riley's people said.

Sam stared at him. "Like hell. We don't trust any of you."
He picked up the baby, patting her on the back. "It'll be okay.
All the mean people are dumb and we're going to stop them," he soothed.

"You're very nice for a people," she said quietly, putting her head
down. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, princess." He sat down with her. His father
gave him an odd look so he glared back. "She's a child, Dad."

"I know that. I've never seen you be that paternal."

"I learned a lot watching Dean." John sighed but nodded.
"Can you call?"

"Definitely." He called the rest of the group. "Buffy, John
Winchester. Willow forgot the baby." He hung up. The
room shook as a higher group of demons appeared. "Easy! Sam's
only comforting her."

"He's a very nice people," the baby agreed, holding her arms up.
She kissed Sam on the cheek. "Thank you for handling the scary people
for us." She let the guards pick her up. "Is it all done with?"

"Yes, dear," the guard said, staring at her. "Are you all right?
Did they hurt you?"

"No. The bad people didn't and the nice people like him are sweet.
He cuddles very well."

"Thank you, Winchester," he said with a nod. He took the baby,
the guard unit following.

Sam grinned. "It's nice they know me."

"It's a problem," John corrected.

Sam suddenly grabbed his head, holding it with a moan. "Damn it!
They're worse than the demon's visions." He squinted, concentrating
on the picture. "Shit. Buffy's going to go after Xander for
all this. She thinks he knew."

John called Tara to send her to calm the slayer down. Tara landed
him in front of Buffy. "He didn't know. Right now he's so damn
upset there's a hunt to make sure he doesn't jump off somewhere high because
he didn't have a clue. All he got was the visions, Buffy."

She glared at him. "He had to know more than that."

"He warned you of what he knew. The same as he warned Dean and
Sam." Cordelia nodded. "See, ask the seers."

"He ...." He glared. She glared back. "Then why wasn't
he here?"

"The trial was today."

"Oh." She frowned. "The baby?"

"She's fine. Guards came to get her and she seemed comfortable
with them so we let them."

"Good." She walked off growling. "Angel, he didn't know."

"He didn't," Cordelia said when he opened his mouth. "Willow,
will his soul stay during an exorcism?"

"Yup."

"Then, John, please attempt it for us?" He nodded, grabbing Angel
to walk him off. Buffy was helping. She didn't know how to
do a proper one anyway. It might help with Xander's gifts later.
Cordelia rubbed her forehead. "I think this time it really is brain
splitting." She looked up. "Willow, can you please snatch and
grab Xander, putting him in front of someone he knows, either the detectives
or that other writer guy?" She nodded, working that. She had
a link into Tara and Xander in case of emergencies. Cordelia looked
up. "Are you happy now?" she yelled. "Leave me the fuck alone!
I don't have his pain tolerance!" She went to lay down with the headache
powder Xander had found that worked.

Buffy leaned out. "We heard yelling?"

"Cordelia telling the Powers to shut up," Willow quipped.

Buffy nodded. "She could use a nap." She closed the door
and went back to helping. John was really good at Latiny stuff.

***

Xander found himself in the police station, looking around. "I
wasn't here a minute ago," he said dryly.

Ryan, the only one there, looked over. "No, you weren't.
Though there was a call to find you."

"Why? Did someone else need to use my ass to start an apocalypse
attempt?"

"Huh?"

"That supposed documentary? That was the start of one. Could've
destroyed everyone."

"Huh. Okay. Anything we need to be aware of?"

"Yeah, the people with the contract on my life are even grumpier than
usual."

"Huh. Then you can stay here." He called Paula. "I
have Xander here with me at the station. Magically imported."
He hung up. "She'll let the lawyer know. She said to tell you
that it's done with, they're talking settlement, and it's fully sealed."

Xander shrugged. "It still probably won't stop everything and
then I'll have to hunt the Council."

"We have overcrowded jails that would love to house them," he said bluntly.
"Go make me some coffee?" Xander nodded, heading that way.
He sent a text to Castle to let him know because he'd worry a lot.
Plus maybe he could help him straighten out the kid. "Hey, Xander,
is Tara maybe possessed?" He read his email. "I got one from
her saying she had found a nice guy."

Xander leaned out. "That would explain some things. Dean's
with her and the others."

"Okay. Who's Dean?"

"Another hunter. The training team in DCIS's big brother."

"Oh. That explains that." He emailed her back. Then
he walked in to grab Xander's phone and see if he had the number.
"She's definitely screwed up somehow." He found one. "Sam Winchester?
Detective Ryan. No, I have Xander and his phone. Tara is apparently
possessed or something. Because she's thinking about guys.
Yes, her. Exactly. Plus she's gone fully mother hen over him
and only wants him to date, checked his mail for him, all that."
He smirked. "He said Dean was with her? Do you know him?
Thank you." He hung up and walked off, keeping the phone.
Xander brought him coffee. "Thanks, kid. Sit, relax, let it
go."

Xander shook his head. "I need to go get into a fight to do that."
He slumped in the chair. "I'm wound up," he said at the look he got.
"Well past the point of hiring someone in the club to fix it for me."

"That's how you end up in these situations where you can't let it go.
It becomes a vicious cycle. One of these days you're going to snap."

"Yeah, probably later tonight," Xander sighed. "Hopefully it snaps."

"I wasn't talking that sort."

"No, there's too many prophecies where me being turned starts off the
end of th slayers. They don't want that so they'll only kill me."

"That would be a bad thing." The kid looked at him. "What?
You don't think so?"

"You know I have visions, right?" He nodded slowly. "That
means I get to see a lot of what 's going to happen and the outcome.
No matter how horrible it is."

"Oh, damn," he muttered. "How bad?"

"Let's see, the demon plague was probably the nicest. There wasn't
anyone left to do a _Stand_ like move."

Ryan shuddered. "Okay, you need to purge some of that and I get
that, but now I'll have nightmares."

"If I could get it out of my head, I would."

"Writing?"

"No, I'm still writing sex and weapons for some reason. At least
it's a fluffy counterpoint to the other things." He shifted and winced,
tossing his knife on the desk. Ryan put it into his desk. "Thanks."

"Don't want it stolen. You never know who'll show up here."
He looked at him. "How do you feel about drinking until you black
out?"

"That might help me get to sleep, yeah. It might even lead to
a fight."

"Probably," he agreed. "But it could help you too."

"Yeah but I don't want to follow my parents' bad example."

"So don't. Don't do it again tomorrow night." He finished
up his paperwork and looked at the kid. "C'mon, I know a decent bar.
There probably won't be any fights but it'll be fine."

Xander shook his head. "I really need a fight."

"Yeah but you won't find it without a cell in the morning and you might
slip and go too far." He walked him down to the car. He saw
the pouty look and mentally smirked. "Hey, I could call up my last
ex," he offered.

"No offense but if she liked you she probably wouldn't like me."

"Probably not," he agreed with a smirk. He got in. Xander
stared then sighed and got in. He drove him off. For some reason
they ran into Castle, who showed up at the same bar. "Long night
with the daughter?"

"No. She's still grounded and thinking." He looked at Xander.
"You should write what you did on your road trip so she can hand it to
the other parents she knows. That way they can talk about things
they never dreamed about doing."

Xander shrugged. "Maybe." He paid for the first round and
sat down at a back corner table to protect himself.

The other two shared a look and followed. "What happened?" Rick
asked. "Paula was frantically trying to find you."

"The court case was today and it was a bad thing from the start," Xander
admitted.

"Ah. She thought it might be that." He sipped his beer.
"We need a deck of cards."

Ryan snickered. "No, we don't. I can't lose too much of
my paycheck this week."

Xander shrugged. "I have to pick up a royalties check I think."

"She sent it."

"Then Tara hopefully deposited it but I didn't see it."

"Then maybe she's hiding it," Ryan said with a grin.

"I can only hope so." He took a drink. "You still have my
phone."

"Yup, that way I hear if there's something going on," Ryan agreed.
Rick held out a hand so he handed it over. "It's not the newest techno
toy."

"I'm not all that technical," Xander admitted. "I only need it
to make calls and sometimes text messages. Keep appointments."
He frowned, sipping his glass of beer. "Has anyone seen my cats today?
Just in case?"

"They're fine. Alexis went to snatch them for the night a few
hours ago," Rick assured him. "Tara was apparently having a fit,
she wanted them guarded." He took a drink. "When was the last
time you drank?"

"Been a while." He thought back. "I think it was the night
after graduation outside of my roadtrip." He finished his beer and
put the glass down. "Of course, I don't totally remember all of my
roadtrip." Castle snickered and nodded. "You?"

"I've had a few like that," he admitted dryly. He drained his
beer and got up to get the next round. If they had to get his mind
off things this way, it'd work. They could have hangovers in thanks
of not having the world ended. That was the best reason they could
think of.

***

Rick walked into Xander's place and took off his sunglasses. He
had checked on the kid on and off for days. "It's a pretty day, why
aren't you reading outside like usual?"

Xander shrugged. "Fighting the smut muses again. It seems
wrong to write post-war calming down sex in the park where there might
be kids." He looked up. "How's Alexis?"

"She's still grounded and wanting to know if you have anything else
for her."

"Not right now. How's yours going?"

"Eeh, I'm on the second of the summer actually." He pulled a chair
over. "Why don't you write out some of those?"

"I tried but they're really horrible and I can't do more than stare
at them when they're on the computer. Besides, someone else might
see them and get horrified."

Rick nodded. "True, but there is a market for really dark fiction
out there. Some of my own genre is shifting that way. It could
be more popular than King's stuff."

"I doubt anyone wants to read the end of the world."

Rick shrugged. "Format it and give it to Paula. You can
weave a story around the seer. Maybe a new hunting series?"

"Checking on you mostly. No one's heard from you. We have
the poker game tonight and since you did get that settlement you are rich
enough to play." Xander grimaced. "I know, your first instinct
is to set up something for the people who lost their lives because of it."

"Or Willow's kid."

"That's her parents' job." He stared at him. "Beyond that,
I heard you were missing your usual game since they're not talking to you
again."

"They're not but someone still wanted me to go save a few of them.
I pointed out that most everyone was ignoring me or even shunning me because
of what happened thanks to that one hunter. She said I'd still rescue
the kids anyway because I was like that. I had Tara go. I'm
still pissed at them."

"So come play poker tonight. We won't let you get drunk.
It's a bunch of other authors. A few have asked about you."
Xander shrugged a bit. "C'mon. Get dressed." Xander nodded
and saved things then went into the bedroom. Rick shifted seats to
look at what he was working on. "You weren't kidding, this is hardcore
smut."

"Yup. It's also fairly badly written, even for me."

"It could definitely use polished. Nothing a strong proofread
couldn't cure." Xander came out giving him an odd look. "Like
I said, there's places for it."

Xander nodded. "But I don't want to be the next Anne Rice."

"I'd hope not. She's a bit creepy." He got up and let the
kids save and shut things down, then store it in the desk safe so they
could head back to his place. Alexis had let in the other guys so
he grinned. "Guys, this is Xander, AKA Alexian Harris. Paula
and I adopted him when his last agent freaked out because he dates bad
and evil things."

"Is that why crime went down?" one quipped. "Hi, I'm Stephen,
this is Dick, and that's Stephen."

Xander smiled and shook their hands. "I keep looking for my own
genre's people in town but I can't find any that aren't really old, female,
and/or cranky." He sat down. The others laughed and Stephen
nodded.

"Quite a few are and they temp in the romance genre too. It pays
better than fantasy. So, how's the writing going? I heard you're
about as prolific as I am."

Xander shrugged. "Right now the muses are only giving me smut
and weapons. I have no idea why but I'm not getting on with the next
in the Tral universe at all outside of that."

Rick snickered. "He's one of those that has hundred page days
usually, guys." They all hissed and winced. "Which is why now
and then I let my daughter distract him."

"She does really good telling me when I screw up the organization and
government stuff for DCIS too," Xander agreed.

"She was wondering when you'd have something else so she could shop,"
Rick said, dealing out cards. "Xander, this is standard poker.
No strange rules."

"Sure. It's strange playing for cash but sure." They all
smirked at him. "Tara won't usually let me."

"Wife?" the first Stephen asked.

"Might as well be sister. She's a librarian." They all smiled.
"I think she donated half of my books recently too. Including a signed
copy of one of mine." He shook his head. "She's with her girlfriend
this weekend."

"It's always good when you have someone supportive," the second Stephen
said. "Do you write in any other genres?"

"I tried my hand at action stuff and it sucked *so* badly," he admitted.
Rick nodded that was true. "My old agent tossed it in the trash in
front of me."

Dick snickered. "I've had a few of those."

"But I'm better now. DCIS gets action. No smut but action.
Tral gets some action and more smut. It all evens out. As long
as I don't turn into Anne Rice." That got a cackle from the room.
"Seriously," he said, nodding some. "I'd look sucky."

Xander checked and anted in. "Two please." He got dealt
them and stared. Then at him. "You don't stack the deck, right?"
he asked with a grin.

"Nope."

"Good, I'm glad it doesn't mean you hate me." The other guys smiled,
tossing in their newest bets. "I'm out. I can't even do it
with Hermes on my side. Can I get drinks?"

"Go ahead. Make some coffee, and there's beers in the fridge,
Xander." Xander nodded, going to grab things for them. He got
himself a bottle of water. "Still got a hangover from the other night?"
he asked dryly.

"No, thanks to the family history I don't get hangovers. Though
I did try to write and what I wrote sounded like I was taking an acid trip.
I don't know why." He opened his water and took a sip. "So
I'm abstaining for a bit."

"She's got mine this weekend in case something happened since I was
planning on being home."

"I'll tell her." She went upstairs to tell her granddaughter that
and pick up the thing she needed. She came back down. "You
boys play nicely and see if you can fix Xander up with something less than
his usual evil standard." She left them alone again.

Rick nodded. "Yes, we did. A lot." They all stared
at him. Rick nodded again. "I think we arrested twelve of them
or something."

"Something like that," Xander agreed.

"Have you heard from the west coast crew?" Rick asked.

"No. I don't really expect to either with the way things fell
out."

"That sucked," Rick said bluntly, looking at him. "You can make
better friends."

"I hope so. I don't usually make friends. I tend to make
former lovers and then people who tolerate me."

Rick patted him on the head. "We'll introduce you around so you
can pick up one of the nice, shallow socialites who wants to pretend to
be evil and then others who read and things."

"Thanks."

"Welcome, kiddo." He upped his bet. The others folded.
Rick grinned, raking it toward him. "I still say you should write
your roadtrip from after high school. Market it to teens and parents
so they can talk about it instead of trying it."

"It's not as fun reading about it."

"Yeah but it might stop some of them if you're blunt about what happened
afterward."

Xander shrugged. "I only have fuzzy memories of some of it."

"Another wild child?" the second Stephen asked.

Xander grinned. "My car exploded, literally a fireball, in Oxnard
so I ended up working at a strip club. Supposedly in the kitchen."
They all moaned. "Exactly. Though it was nice that the drag
queens tipped me heavily the first time I had to get on the stage because
I was so cutely nervous according to them." Castle snickered, shaking
his head. "One of them offered to help me learn how to do drag too.
I decided I looked a bit too bulky after she dragged me off one weekend."

"Handcuffs?" Castle asked.

"No."

"That pesky 'can't say no to women' problem of yours?"

"Yup."

Castle smirked. "Beckett's going to use that some day."

"Probably, yeah. If she was evil, I'd like her. Unfortunately
she's a good girl so she's playing auntie sometimes."

The guys all shook their heads at that. The kid was a bit warped
but fun.

***

Six days later, Xander walked up to the guys out at lunch. "My
stalker is no more."

"No. Neither. She decided, after I showed her some things,
which was after the fight and the sex and the later fight, that I was right.
Some of them are innocent and just alive." He shrugged and winced.
"But she's left the city."

"You can still press charges," Esposito offered. "Because I've
seen less bruises on prize fighters."

Xander waved a hand. "It's fine. I wasn't going to do anything
today anyway." He shrugged and winced again. "Sorry, stitches
pulling." He walked off. "Let her know so she can relax about
her please?"

"Yeah," Ryan agreed. "Get your ass back here, Xander." He
trudged back, giving him a dirty look. "You will press charges,"
he ordered. "Because people look up to you and it looks like the
Mother of all domestics got you. They'll discount it because you
do."

"No one looks up to me that way and I told them it was a bar brawl when
someone asked. Beyond that, she's necessary and it's cool. She's
back on the road and next time we might not fight first. Or afterward."

"Yeah, still not going to cut it," Ryan assured him.

Xander glared. "Drop it, please?" He walked off again.
"Real guys don't bother when the fights are for a good reason. It's
not like it was a domestic, just her stalking me."

Beckett stared at him. "Since I saw her hit you, we don't need
you to press charges and I'll be damned if I'm going to let a woman beat
anyone as badly as you are."

"He got me just as much," the female hunter complained.

Beckett looked at him then at her. "He must've gotten you where
you don't bruise." She walked her off. "Boys, figure out what
happened." She looked back but Xander had disappeared. "Fine,
we'll go find him at home later." The hunter sighed. "Tough.
You shouldn't have beaten up on the kid."

"He was talking to the cops. I didn't want him to turn me in."

"I don't care and he lives up the road. He was probably out for
bread. He uses this route for that and the park." She smirked.
"Besides, he doesn't have to press charges since I saw you thump him."

Esposito smirked. "He's right, she is acting like his aunt," he
said quietly.

"Yeah. She is. It's almost scary. I'm scared for when
she has kids." They snickered all the way up there, clearing it before
they got off the elevator. "Maybe she broke his muses' problem,"
Ryan told Beckett.

"They're having a problem?"

"It's all been smut and weapons. He can't move on."

"Oh. Then maybe she did." She glared at the woman.
She hated bullies. Her minions wisely went back to work and let her
handle it.